Electricity is one of the most important forms of energy. It is used to produce both light and heat and it functions to power various devices from the most mundane electrical appliances to complex industrial machinery. Electric power also enables us to utilize telephones, computers, motion pictures, television, radio, and the like. In most instances, electricity is produced by converting mechanical energy to electrical energy. Historically, this was first accomplished through the use of movement of air, such as would power a windmill, as well as the movement of water used to power a simple turbine. Increasingly, however, electricity has been produced by the use of non-renewable fuels, such as coal, which is used to power large facilities for the production of electricity. Since these sources of power are limited in nature, and due to the ever growing thirst for electricity in this country, as well as in developing countries, such as India and China, a renewable source of powering the generators which produce almost all of the electricity used by people, must be developed.
A generator does not create electricity, but changes mechanical energy into electrical energy, as previously noted with respect to the use of moving water or wind power. All generators consist of a magnet and a loop of wire producing a magnetic field. When the loop of wire is rotated between the poles of the magnet, electricity is induced in the loop. Therefore, when a source of energy, such as wind is used to rotate the loop, electricity would flow in both directions through the loop during every single complete rotation of the loop through the magnet, thereby producing alternating voltage and alternating current. This particular generator is known as an alternating current generator. Direct current generators are produced by utilizing a commutator to force the current to move in only one direction. Once the electrical energy is produced, either by use of the alternating current generator or the direct current generator, the electricity can be stored in a battery for later use.
Virtually all motor vehicles are provided with one or more storage batteries. Generally, these storage batteries are used in the ignition of the vehicle and then are charged as the vehicle moves, by the use of a generator inducing electricity through the use of the movement of a shaft, such as a drive wheel or axle and not by the use of moving air.
However, several patents have been developed which utilize air flow produced by the movement of a vehicle to generate electricity. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,828, issued to Bunzer, describes a wind driven apparatus utilizing a fluid driven device affixed to the top roof of an automobile for generating electricity used to power the automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,843, issued to Han et al., illustrates the use of whirl ventilator charging system used to supply electricity to a bank of batteries employed to power the vehicle.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,941,613, issued to Di Perna; U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,849, issued to Redman; U.S. Pat. No. 3,621,930, issued to Dutchak; U.S. Pat. No. 3,444,946, issued to Waterbury; U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,025, issued to Ri, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,781, issued to Hakala, all describe various devices associated with an automotive vehicle for utilizing wind to produce energy to power the particular vehicle, but not for any other purpose.